Saturday, November 12, 2016

Adamawa To Begin Mining Gold,Diamond,Bitumen & Other Mineral Resources By December

The mining of solid minerals including Diamond, Gold, Bitumen and Barite in Adamawa by a Swiss firm is to commence in December.

The state Commissioner for Solid Mineral
Resources, Ms Shanti Shashi, made this known Saturday in Yola at the
4th Adamawa Community Dialogue organised by an NGO, the Adamawa Community Advancement Initiative (ACAI).

Shashi said the Swiss firm, BTP Swiss Sovereign Asset, and the Adamawa Mining Company
would be involved in the mining of seven minerals comprising diamond,
gold, zinc, bitumen, barite, uranium and platinum in the state under a
three-year agreement.

Shashi also said that the state
government, which was committed to taping its solid mineral resources,
had already acquired 12 mineral exploration licenses from the Federal
Government.

She noted that Adamawa State was blessed
with numerous solid mineral deposit which had placed the state far
ahead of other states in terms of explorations.

“Adamawa is the most organised state as
far as solid minerals is concern. We have gone far in talks with Dangote
Group on Guyuk Cement factory,” Shashi said.

She lauded ACAI for organising a stakeholders dialogue and assured of the state government’s commitment towards the project.

The commissioner noted the theme of the stakeholders dialogue “Adamawa
Without Oil Money: Meeting The Challenges of Sustainable Development
Through Agriculture and Solid Minerals Resources Development”, was timely.

In his paper, “Economic Diversification through Solid Mineral Resources Development: The Adamawa State Prospects”,
Prof. Saidu Baba, lamented the long years neglect of agriculture and
solid minerals which used to be the mainstay of the nations economy.

“Why we are in recession is because the
money we realized from oil sector was not utilized to develop other
sectors like solid minerals and agriculture”, Baba said.

He noted that Adamawa has the mineral
resources to generate revenue, as SWOT analysis had proven that
limestone, coal, gypsum, baryte, clays and granite were deposited in
large quantity in the state.

“It is therefore recommended that the
state government should consider well-organised and coordinated
investments in these minerals, advisably through joint venture
programmes as it is done in the oil and gas sector”.

In his remarks, the Convener of ACAI, Mallam Bashir Ahmad,
said the annual dialogue was meant to serve as a platform for Adamawa
citizens to come together and discuss challenges of good governance and
sustainable development in the state.

Ahmad said the current recession and the
dwindling monthly allocation from the Federation Account and with a
population of over three million, the state had no option than to
diversify to meet its obligation to the electorate.